


Singing Lovers

by AngelOfTheNight



Category: Gravitation
Genre: M/M, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 18:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/751731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelOfTheNight/pseuds/AngelOfTheNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Yuki tells Shuichi that he doesn't want him yet again, Shuichi leaves to sulk. While sulking he runs into Ryuichi who takes him out singing and then declares his love for him. Who will Shuichi love now? Declarations of love throughout the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck

"YUKI!" Shuichi yelled jumping on his lover as Yuki closed his eyes in annoyance. "Yuki! I had a wonderful day today! You see, we were practicing at the studio for next week's concert and Mr. K was drilling us till our fingers bled as usual when all of a sudden, Ryuichi Sakuma, yes the one and only brilliant lead singer of Nittle Grasper, Ryuichi Sakuma, comes bouncing in and announces that Nittle Grasper will be playing with us at our next concert!"  
"I don't care, you're annoying and making it impossible for me to work. I couldn't care less who you played with or how your day was. Your lyrics suck and pale in comparison to any other band. Singing with another group only proves my point that the audience is there for the other group and not you. You are foolish to think that Ryuichi is your friend. He is your rival and with you thinking of him in such a soft way, he'll trample you with his over whelming talent and popularity. I am constantly having to ask myself why I even show up at your concerts. With your lack of wit and talent, you're nothing but, a sheer waste of my precious time" Yuki said bluntly.  
"But, Yuki…" Shuichi started to whimper.  
"I'm busy, go bother someone else" Yuki ordered coldly opening his eyes and returning to his typing.  
"Well, if my day doesn't interest you then, how was your day!?" Shuichi bounced back cheerfully grabbing his stool and sitting next to his beloved novelist.  
"Get lost" Yuki replied.  
"Wha…What? Yuki? I want to know everything about you! Talk to me! Yuki!" Shuichi pleaded.  
"I said get lost! I have no use for you, your annoyance, much like a fly that I'm constantly swatting at but, doesn't get the hint that he's not wanted!"  
"Yuki…"  
"I said leave! I don't want you here!"  
Shuichi silently stood up and left the writer in peace. He picked up his jacket and left the house. It was dark outside and Shuichi sulking, walked down the brightly active and lit sidewalk of Tokyo. 'Why…why does he never open up to me, he said he was my lover but, he's so cold and never wants me around…It's as if I'm just his stress reliever on very rare occasions'  
"Shuichi!" screeched a high pitched familiar voice. Shuichi was quickly pulled from his depressing thoughts and picked his head up to greet a pink bunny being thrown in his face and two arms embracing him tightly.  
"Ryuichi…Sakuma" Shuichi choked out surprised.  
"Shuichi! Busy?" asked Ryuichi releasing him and giving him the innocent chibi look.  
"No, I'm not busy…" Shuichi replied softly.  
"Yahoo! Let's be shiny!" Ryuichi cried grabbing Shuichi's arm playfully and tugging him into the nearest karaoke bar.  
"Quietly embracing, completely captured, until your heart has broken" they sang in unison.  
"Ahhh! Shuichi is shiny! I wanna pick the next one!" Ryuichi said running up to the machine and flipping through the songs. Ryuichi had reserved a private room out back so that he wouldn't be swamped with fans as he playfully sang his heart out and who better to sing with then his newest friend Shuichi Shindo!  
'Ryuichi Sakuma is your rival, to think of him as your friend is foolish' Yuki's cold words played in Shuichi's mind as he watched Ryuichi happily choose a song. 'Yuki's wrong. Ryuichi is my friend, he thinks of me as his friend so why…'  
"Next is 'The Rage beat'! by the hot new group Bad Luck!" Ryuichi announced jumping up on the couch and startling Shuichi yet again. 'Forget about Yuki, tonight I'm singing with my number one idol and newest friend Ryuichi Sakuma!' Shuichi declared jumping up, microphone in hand.  
"Something frightening attracts my gaze. An irritating desire, spit out by the wanton wind. In a widening crack on the road, the lights of the signals melt, leaving only a scar. Before that dozing noise erases tomorrow. My footsteps echo as I pursue my ambition. I will not stop for anything. Any unsatisfying emotion I will just ignore and move beyond. Shivering, shyly, I took aim for the gap in my world. Following it, I arrived at a new place. I want a new world." they sang loudly. They happily continued to sing until it was nearly midnight.

"Ahh, that was relaxing…"Said Shuichi slumping on to the couch. Suddenly, Ryuichi flipped a switch that turned off the karaoke machine. He turned to Shuichi seriously and knelt down on the couch. The lights were very dim and the two singers looked more like shadows then vibrant humans.

"Shuichi, I love you" stated Ryuichi as he pulled Shuichi into his arms and kissed him with more heat and passion then Yuki ever did. The tender kiss warmed Shuichi enough to pull Ryuichi back for a second kiss.

Yuki walked into the living room and searched the couch. It had been hours since Shuichi had left and way too late for anyone to be out. Yuki had showered twice and drank coffee excessively trying to keep himself awake. Staying out all night with no word to where he is was Yuki's usual routine. For Shuichi to pull something like this truly worried Yuki, not that he'd ever admit to anyone, even himself that he was honestly worried about Shuichi.


	2. An Affair

"Alright! Let's work really really hard today! Hiro! Fujisaki!" Shuichi called out as he excitedly entered the studio.

"Shindo is really energetic today isn't he…" Suguru said annoyed.

"Yes…please try and put up with him, for the sake of the band if nothing else…" Hiro attempted to comfort.

"Ok! Let's warm up with our number one hit, 'Rage Beat'!" yelled Shuichi grabbing the microphone and moving his body in anticipation of the music. Hiro and Suguru calmly complied with his request and started the music.

"Tohma! Noriko!" Ryuichi cried upon seeing them.

"Good morning" replied Noriko sweetly.

"My, aren't we energetic" Tohma commented.

"Let's rehearse so we can shine really bright with Shuichi!"

"My, aren't you taking a quick liking to Shuichi" stated Noriko.

"Shuichi is my new best friend! We shine brightly together. His voice is coming to its peek with a little more practice you won't be able to tell my voice apart from his!" Ryuichi said happily.

"Ryuichi, I hope you don't get too close to Shuichi. He's our rivaling group. They've come along way since they first started." Warned Tohma.

"But, I like Shuichi" he started to whine. Tohma and Noriko quickly switched gears, knowing Mr. K was no longer around forcing him to work.

"Let's rehearse for the concert then shall we?" Noriko recommended. The group quickly took their positions and started practicing.

"Eiri! You won't get away from me today" stated Mika barging in and finding Yuki calmly watching tv.

"I'm in no mood to argue today, I will not return so give up already" stated Yuki without even looking away from the tv. He seemed to be flipping through the channels rather quickly, Mika noticed.

"Your problems won't go away just because you refuse to face them, so why don't you give up and take care of Ayaka? If you won't marry her then you should go back and set everyone straight right now instead of dragging this out longer." Pressed Mika. She noticed Yuki hadn't paid any attention to her since she had arrived, not that it was unusual but, it was quite obvious that something was bothering Yuki. "I haven't seen your boy-toy around, did you two break up or something?"

"Shuichi left last night and hasn't come back. I don't care where he is or what he's up to" replied Yuki.

"Fine, but you really should go back to Ayaka" Mika stated ending their conversation as she left.

Later that evening at the bar…

"Tohma, I think something is truly disturbing Eiri. He said Shuichi left last night and hasn't returned. Was he at the studio today?" asked Mika.

"Yes, he was rehearsing down the hall from us. He sounded quite energetic so I don't think anything was bothering him. If Eiri is bothered by Shuichi leaving in the middle of the night and not returning then maybe something is wrong with their relationship. I don't want to intervene with Eiri's private life but, if it will ease your mind I will investigate the situation as best I can" replied Tohma.

"Thank you" said Mika as the couple paid for their drinks and left.

"Shuichi, you sang very well today. Did something good happen between you and Yuki?" asked Hiro as they walked down the street. A surprised look crossed Shuichi's face as the writer's name was mentioned.

"Yuki! I completely forgot about him!" cried Shuichi in a panic. Hiro looked at him with surprise.

"So, you didn't spend the night with Yuki?" he confirmed.

"No, Yuki told me to leave so I left and while I was walking down the street, I ran into Ryuichi Sakuma and we went to a karaoke bar and we sang for hours! Oh, Hiro you should have been there! It was so awesome it was just me and Ryuichi and we had so much fun! Then we got really tired so Ryuichi turned everything off and…"Shuichi blushed remembering.

"And?" Hiro pressed.

"And he said that he loved me and then he kissed me. It was such a warm soft kiss I didn't want it to end so I kissed him back…" Shuichi swallowed hard before continuing. "Then one thing led to another and we ended up spending the night together…"

"You cheated on Yuki with Ryuichi" Hiro stated somewhat shocked.

"I didn't mean to, I just felt so alone and Ryuichi seemed to be right there to comfort me right when I needed him and Yuki never wants me around and never says that he loves me" Shuichi tried to straighten out his thoughts.

"So who do you love?" asked Hiro.

"I don't know anymore. I do love Yuki but, he never seems to show love for me. Lately, I've only felt used and unwanted by Yuki. When I was with Ryuichi, I felt wonderful and he gives me so much passion…I've always idolized Ryuichi so it's only natural that I'd love him but, I never thought Ryuichi would return my feelings, let alone that I'd actually meet him someday. I don't know who I want to be with anymore" Shuichi confessed in sheer confusion.

"So are you going back to Yuki's tonight? Or are you going to break up with him and hook up with Ryuichi?"

"I don't know what to do, I'd feel too guilty to face Yuki but, I don't want to disappoint Ryuichi either…"

"Well, it might just be best if you spent the night at my place so you can figure out what you're going to do. This is not an invite for you to have a fling with me, just a friendly sleep over so you can get your head on straight" Hiro sighed.

"Thank you, how are things with Ayaka by the way?" Shuichi replied changing the subject.

"She doesn't want to see me anymore. She says that she will only have Yuki and that I'm no substitute, so she went back to Kyoto to wait for Yuki to come around" he replied almost emotionlessly.

"Hiro…" Shuichi said sympathetically. Hiro noticed the pitiful look on Shuichi's face.

"Heh, don't worry about it! You can't choose who you love, it's just a matter of time before I find my lover and join this crazy love triangle crusade!" Hiro said perkily as the two headed for the guitarist's house.

"Shuichi!" Ryuichi cried as his best friend and the amazing guitarist of Bad Luck entered the studio.

"Good morning!" Shuichi replied happily. Ryuichi ran up and hugged him tightly. Hiro watched him with some amusement. After staying up and listening to Shuichi's pros and cons of being with either Yuki or Ryuichi all night, it was quite clear that Shuichi hadn't decided anything.

"Hey Shuichi, I'm going to go warm up with Fujisaki." Hiro stated as he walked away with a half interested and slightly jealous smirk.

"Shuichi…you didn't stick around and wait for me yesterday…"Ryuichi stated with a serious yet adorable pout look on his face.

"Ah, well. I had some business to sort out yesterday" Shuichi replied nervously.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"No…er…yes! I have some things to take care of still"

"You couldn't find time to sing with me again….do you not like me?" he pouted.

"I do like you!…I just don't know how to react to your feelings"

"You don't have to say anything! Words are meaningless when it comes to love!"

"Ryuichi…" Shuichi was caught in deep thought by this. If words meant nothing then did Yuki really love him more then any elegant word could possibly express? But, then again, Yuki did tease him a lot and call him mean names…if that's what Yuki always tried to commute to him, then why didn't he just come out and say it like Ryuichi?

Before Shuichi could answer his thoughts, he was pulled back into a pleasant reality as Ryuichi once again pressed his warm soft lips up against Shuichi's.


	3. Hidden Jealousy

"Hiro…I'm at a loss of what to do…I want to go back and tell Yuki everything but, I've cheated on him. He should leave me for that. I want to tell Ryuichi that I love him but, even if I didn't mean to, I'm just using him so I don't have to go home to Yuki. It's not fair to either of them. I'm not a good person. I'm toying with people's emotions mercilessly" Shuichi sobbed from Hiro's couch. Somehow, Hiro had become Shuichi's therapist and now his temporary roommate. "Hiro…What should I do~?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. I am not getting caught up in this any more than I already have and I can tell you how to feel" replied Hiro.

"Then why are you helping me escape by letting me stay here and go straight home with you after work hmmm?~" Shuichi began to tease.

"If you would rather me leave you stranded at the studio with both Ryuichi and Yuki there I can easily make that a reality" Hiro teased back.

"Ah! No no! I'm very grateful for your help and support!" Shuichi quickly replied. "I know I'm supposed to tell myself how I really feel when I sit here and talk to you but it's been a week and I still don't have a clue as to how to deal with this…seriously, if you still have feelings for Ayaka and she always turned you down you'd be lonely but, what if Ayaka had a twin sister who adored you. What would you do?"

"Ayaka doesn't have any siblings so I don't have that problem" Hiro said slyly.

"But what if that really was a situation you got put into?" Shuichi continued.

I said it once and I'll say it again; I am not getting any more involved in this situation then I already am" stated Hiro.

"Hiro~ you're so mean!" Shuichi began to cry.

"There there, it'll all work out in the end. Now, go to sleep and think of some lyrics for the new song" departed Hiro. Shuichi did as he was told and drifted off to sleep.

'Shuichi…instead of the twin sister situation you should have told me to pick between Ayaka and you, then you would have your real life similar situation…' thought Hiro as he curled up under the covers and reviewed his own problematic situation in his head.

The next morning the two showed up for work as cheerful as usual.

"Ah! Shindo! How are the new lyrics coming? You have started on them haven't you, at least given them some thought!" panicked Sakano.

"No worries, I can always provide my artists with motivation, now off to work you go Shuichi!" announced Mr. K as he sat Shuichi down at a desk and held his magnum to Shuichi's head.

"This has got to be some sort of abuse…" Shuichi complained at the end of the day as he walked out with Hiro.

"Maybe, hey I'm going to use the bathroom so wait for me" said Hiro as he used the lobby facilities. Shuichi leaned against the wall as he patiently waited. 'What am I going to do…?'

Suddenly a hand slammed next to Shuichi's head thus pulling him from his thoughts.

"Shuichi…you aren't getting away from me today…" stated Ryuichi.

"R-Ryuichi!" Shuichi replied shocked.

"You've been avoiding me all week but not today" Ryuichi continued.

"Ok, Shuichi I'm ready to go-" announced Hiro, as he took in the scene he trailed off.

"Na no da! Shuichi and I are going to be shiny!" Ryuichi said cheerfully in chibi mode as he bounced passed Hiro dragging Shuichi out the door with him. 'Good luck Shuichi'

"Hiro, has Shuichi been coming to work?" demanded Yuki as he came down the hall.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact you just missed him"

"Did he say where he was going? He hasn't been home in days"

"Nope, did you guys have another fight?" Hiro played innocent.

"It's not your concern" muttered Yuki as he marched out the front door. 'And what Shuichi finds charming about this guy I'll never know…'

"What song do you want to sing first?" asked Ryuichi as the two sat in the back of a nice foreign car.

"Um, my all time favorite is 'Be There' by Nittle Grasper. Where are we going?" replied Shuichi.

"My place! I have a nice new karaoke machine with just about every song from the past 30 years on it! It'll be fun, my den is like the karaoke bar so it won't feel like you're in my house. This way you can spend the night and we can go to work together!"

"Ryuichi…I don't know how to say this, but I'm still in love with Yuki. It was my mistake for being swept away a week ago and I've been staying at Hiro's trying to figure things out…"

"If you were really in love with Yuki, would you have kissed me back?"

"Eh?"

"If Yuki was really all that was ever on your mind, would your heart really have let you be mine? What have you felt this past week?"

"I felt so guilty for not telling Yuki of my betrayal that I've been staying at Hiro's but, I don't regret spending the night with you, you're my idol! My God! How could I not enjoy a night with the Ryuichi Sakuma!"

"See? If you can enjoy a night like that with someone else at the same time as someone's lover then, do you really love that person? And does that person really love you? If Yuki cared about you wouldn't he have hunted you down after saying something so mean?"

"That's not how Yuki is though"

"With you or everyone? He did leave with that Ayaka girl before didn't he?"

"Well, yes that is true…and he hasn't come looking for me and he been so cold with me lately" Shuichi started to cry.

"Oohhh…poor Shuichi! Don't worry! Kumagoro will comfort you!" Ryuichi squealed as he put the pink bunny into Shuichi's arms. "And Ryuichi will stay by your side all night long!" he said lightly kissing Shuichi's cheek. As Shuichi's tears slowed Ryuichi kissed his eyelashes and remaining tears away. Feeling over whelmed by such unusual kindness, when Ryuichi pulled away Shuichi gently placed one hand on Ryuichi's cheek. Ryuichi gave him a sincere smile and passionately kissed Shuichi's quivering lips as the driver pulled into the driveway. Once the car was turned off, Ryuichi stooped hugging Shuichi. Shuichi looked up at him almost desperately. "Let's go shine!" Ryuichi screamed taking Shuichi's wrist and leading him into the house.

"Shuichi…where did you go?" Yuki asked aloud as he placed a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes sadly. His computer and stool were at his side but Yuki couldn't stop watching the clock. As the time passed, Yuki kept replaying the last conversation he had with Shuichi over and over in his head.

"Shuichi, I almost envy the drama in your life" Hiro said to himself as he drank some tea and stood on his apartment balcony. 'Should I join this little adventure or continue to amuse myself with being a bystander?'


	4. New Couple

"Shuichi" Ryuichi poked at the sleeping pink haired boy on his couch. Shuichi reluctantly opened his eyes to greet a cheerful Ryuichi.

"Good morning" replied Shuichi throwing his blanket off and sitting up. "Thanks for letting me spend the night. Hiro must have been in serious need of a break after putting me up for a week"

"Ready to go to work? You look like you're feeling better" Ryuichi said hauling him to his feet and leading him to a guest room. "You can shower and grab some clothes from here, breakfast will be ready in about a half hour and then it's off to work!"

Shuichi happily accepted the hospitality and after a long cry felt better and less guilty about staying over at Ryuichi's. Within the hour the stars of Japan's two most beloved bands stepped outside the Sakuma mansion to meet something rather unexpected, on Shuichi's end anyway.

"Mr. Sakuma! Why is the lead singer of your biggest rivaling band here at your home?"

"Mr. Sakuma did he spend the night here?"

"What are the circumstances to this arrangement?"

"Mr. Shindo what does this mean for your relationship with Yuki Eiri?"

The paparazzi in their infinite ways had tracked down the super stars and there was no denying them now. The questions fired at them like rockets and Shuichi feeling intimidated, embarrassed and confused wanted to make a break back into the house and pretend none of this was happening. As his muscles tensed in preparation of the run, Ryuichi smoothly wrapped an arm around to Shuichi's back to keep him faced forward and close.

"As of one week ago, Shuichi Shindo, lead singer of Bad Luck broke off his relationship with novelist Yuki Eiri and since become my lover. It's not strange for lovers to spend time together after the working day is done is it?" answered Ryuichi boldly and without so much as a thoughts hesitation.

"Mr. Shindo is this true? What was the final straw between you and Yuki Eiri?"

"Mr. Shindo, how would you describe Ryuichi as a lover?"

"Is this a serious relationship do you think?"

"Mr. Shindo!"

The questions all seemed to come at once and blend into one loud voice for Shuichi. 'This isn't happening…this all some strange nightmare that just keeps going on and on and I can't seem to wake up. I never broke up with Yuki…is Ryuichi truly in love with me to the point of deciding things on his own…this isn't how my love life was supposed to be!' Shuichi's head spun as he became dizzy. His eyes dilated as the nausea and light headed affect set in.

"No more comments! We'll be late for work and we don't want to disappoint all you loyal fans! We'll reveal more as time goes on so for now consider this a live action drama worthy to rival that of the creations of Yuki Eiri!" said Ryuichi as he carefully lead his dazed Shuichi to the car. Once inside Ryuichi insisted on Shuichi drinking a number of sugary juices until they reached the studio. The two singers entered the studio and it was then that all Shuichi could do was give his idol a questioning stare. He searched Ryuichi's eyes for any clear information but couldn't find a single comforting thing.

"Later Shuichi~ Na no da~ See you after work, so don't take off before me!" he replied skipping off to his rehearsal.

"Shuichi! On the news this morning, what was all that about!? I thought you were confused! You never said it was over between you and Yuki! Why'd you go and leave me out of the loop? You know if you dating Ryuichi was a secret I'd keep it" said a breathless Hiro as he jogged over to the pink haired singer.

"Hiro…I'm not really quite sure what happened this morning" replied Shuichi almost robotically.

"Are you ok?" asked Hiro.

"I have no idea what I think I've somehow managed to get myself into"

Hiro walked his friend down the hall and sat him down in a chair outside the recording room.

"Hiro…I don't remember breaking up with Yuki. I spent the night at Ryuichi's but nothing really happened. Ryuichi slept in his room and I crashed on the couch. I remember telling him every feeling I had and crying myself to sleep. Then this morning everything seemed so friendly, Ryuichi lent me some clothes and I took a shower and we had breakfast and the next thing I know, all theses reporters and screaming and ranting questions at us and Ryuichi said that me and Yuki were no more and he and I were now a couple…I'm so confused….And Yuki! What will he think when he sees this! I haven't seen him since the night I went to the karaoke bar with Ryuichi! But, maybe he won't care. He did tell me to leave and he hasn't come around looking for me even once so maybe things are better this way. Ryuichi genuinely listens to me and reacts to my feelings"

"Listen Shuichi-" Hiro started but was cut off by Mr. K's dramatic entrance. An array of bullets shot down the door as he bust in and grab Shuichi by his shirt collar.

"How did this happen? You can't date our rival!" he said shaking him.

"Mr. K, it doesn't matter much does it? We are performing together and we work for the same company so what's the harm?" asked Sakano.

"What's the harm!?" Mr. K started as Suguru chimed in.

"The harm is that if they're together they're bound to share all sorts of things such as music arrangements, personal secrets and any upcoming song plans! It seems innocent enough now but what happens when they break up? Whomever gets left for someone else is bound to be hurt and willing to exploit the others fragilities to be a damaging vengeful blow to the group and the company!"

"What makes you think it won't work between me and Ryuichi?" asked Shuichi slightly offended.

"You're dating Ryuichi out of love correct?"

"Of course"

"Well a week ago you were all over Yuki and where are your feelings of love for him now? Nowhere to be found! We're lucky he doesn't seem to care much and that Tohma isn't our producer! You can bet Tohma's wife Mika will be upset because Yuki is her brother and just got hurt! If Tohma were still the producer we would be out of a job!"

"I could never hurt Yuki!" Shuichi said defensively.

"Are you sure this is a bad thing? Now that Shuichi left Yuki, he can marry Ayaka like Mika and his family wants. There won't be any hassle if that happens and let's not be so quick to judge Ryuichi. Let's for the sake of keeping our work and home life separate just wait this out a little bit hmm" defended Hiro. With that they got down to work for the day.

"Tohma! Have you seen the news yet?" demanded Mika as she stormed into the studio.

"Yes, Shuichi and Yuki are no more. Isn't that what you've been wanting?" asked Tohma.

"Yes, but Yuki was supposed to be the one to break things off! Not that kid! After what Eiri's been through this could really be a stab that stone heart of his won't be able to take!"

The day passed slowly and by sunset Shuichi was obediently waiting by the door for Ryuichi.

"Shuichi!" Ryuichi called embracing him from behind.

"What did you want?" asked Shuichi.

"Well, shouldn't we go home together instead of alone?"

"Go home?"

"Yes, together!"

"But I still live with-"

"You live with me! We can send someone to pick up your things tomorrow"

"Wait! I'm so confused about this morning!"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, of course! From the first time I heard you sing!"

"Then our feelings are the same so it's fine if we're together isn't it?"

"Logically yes"

"Then let's go home, lover~"

"Alright, let's go home" replied Shuichi walking hand in hand with Ryuichi until they reached the car.


	5. Breaking News

"Good morning Shuichi~" Ryuichi said in a sing song voice as he awakened his lover with a kiss. It took Shuichi a few moments to remember where he was but, he gave Ryuichi a gentle smile as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning" he replied. Shuichi had been given his own room just down the hall from Ryuichi. It was quite spacious like Yuki's apartment but he didn't have his comforts from home yet. As the two enjoyed their breakfast there seemed to be a little bit of unease in the air around them. Ryuichi looked as perky as ever as he chomped down on his breakfast while humming a tune. Shuichi had his eyes cast down as he slowly ate his breakfast. 'What must Yuki be thinking? Surely he's heard about me and Ryuichi by now…does he even care? I need to talk to him but, what if he won't see me?'

"Shuichi?" asked Ryuichi pulling him from his thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing!" Shuichi replied with a forced smile.

"There's something wrong. You aren't producing any shiny vibes right now…tell me what's wrong"

"It's really nothing!" Shuichi insisted.

"Fine. You'll tell me when you're ready" replied Ryuichi returning to his breakfast. Shuichi watched him as he became more in tuned with whatever was running through his divine mind. He had gone from humming a tune, to tapping his silverware and was now only taking bites when certain parts of his tune came up.

"Ryuichi" Shuichi called reluctant to disturb the artist at work.

"Yes~" he replied.

"I want to talk to Yuki…about us. I haven't spoken or seen him since the night you and I hit the karaoke bar. I don't want to leave things like this with him. Does it bother you that I still think about him?"

"Not at all! It's only natural to think about someone you care for. When do you want to meet him?"

"Today if possible. He must have been shocked to see us together on the news. I feel so bad he had to find out this way. To be so cruel as to have him find out that way makes me the worst"

"You're not the worst at all! That's what happens when you're a celebrity, Yuki should know that considering that's how you two went public. Besides, what kind of lover drives away the person he cares for more than anyone without trying to make up immediately? Please don't take this the wrong way but, I don't view Yuki as a good boyfriend. Not for someone as talented and kind hearted as you anyway. He never flaunted you to his friends or family or took you to any lovers paradise hot spots or even dedicated any pieces of his work to you. He writes love stories and doesn't use his boyfriend as a muse? That's just cold" replied Ryuichi.

"Yuki…" Shuichi started but couldn't find a single thing to really deny anything Ryuichi had just said.

"Should I go with you to see him?" asked Ryuichi, his fork lightly sitting on his lips as he looked at Shuichi with big eyes. Shuichi felt himself blush at the adorable expression.

"That's ok. I won't be there long" replied Shuichi finally. Breakfast soon ended and the work day began. The paparazzi were still all over the new couple and harassed them all the way from their home to the studio. Once inside they went to their separate practice rooms, but not before Ryuichi dramatically kissed his lover in front of most of the staff.

At the end of the day Ryuichi was waiting by the door.

"You didn't have to wait for me, I told you I was going to go talk to Yuki after work" said Shuichi slightly embarrassed.

"I know but I wanted to wish you luck in person!" Ryuichi said hopping on Shuichi and hugging him tightly. "You tell that Yuki what's on your mind! And when you come home I'll have a super special surprise waiting for you~" he said happily and then lowered his voice to a whisper and becoming more serious while slightly nibbling on his ear for the second part of his message.

Shuichi felt his cheeks darken and his eyes want to look only at his God as he said such taunting words in that overly seductive tone of his. Within mere moments Ryuichi broke off the embrace and skipped out the front door singing what Shuichi could only assume were new lyrics.

Shuichi felt a lump develop in his throat as he approached Yuki's apartment complex. 'What will I tell him? What can I tell him that he probably hasn't already heard on the news…besides my intimate nights with Ryuichi Sakuma!~ NO! Think only about Yuki's feeling right now! Focus on Yuki….' Shuichi's mind fought him as he reluctantly pressed the elevator button. The elevator seemed to moved too fast and too slow all at the same time. Shuichi's mind swirled about in confusion as he somehow managed to move his body down the hall to Yuki's door. He shakily pulled out his key and put it in the lock.

"Yuki…" He called out softly as he tapped on the door. When no answer came Shuichi turned the lock and came in. The room was relatively dark but all his possessions were still strewn about. Shuichi slowly made his way down a hall, the room where Yuki usually worked had a small sliver of light peeking through the cracks of the door. Shuichi's heart started to pick up its speed as he approached. His hand trembled as he placed it on the handle. He took a deep breath as he forced himself to open the door and call the name of his former lover.

"Yuki" Shuichi called once the door was open. In sat Yuki, just as he had last seen him.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Yuki.

"Yuki, please, I want to talk. About everything that's been going on since the day I-"

"I already know. You're now shacking up with Ryuichi Sakuma. Good for you, now go bother him"

"Yuki"

"Did you come here thinking I was hurt? Well I'm not. Why would I care if some tramp that forced his way into my life and my apartment suddenly found a new lover? Actually I'm quite glad, I've gotten so much more work done so you can gather your belongings and return to your new home"

"But Yuki…" tears welded up in Shuichi's eyes at the cold words of the man he had feelings for.

"Are you still here? Leave your key on the table and get the hell out!" Yuki ordered impatiently. Without another word Shuichi bolted for the door. Yuki closed his eyes as the door slammed behind the pink haired singer.

"Damn it" Yuki said softly to himself as he closed his lap top. 'Isn't this what started this whole fiasco?'

Uncontrollable tears streamed down Shuichi's face as he ran down the streets of Tokyo. 'This is exactly why I left you for Ryuichi you jerk!' while deciding this Shuichi slammed into someone with full throttle force.

"Ow…" the pink haired singer moaned up on looking up to see what he hit.

"Shuichi?" asked Hiro. He had apparently just gotten home because he motorcycle helmet was still in his hand and had also been the object that made contact with Shuichi's head.

"Hiro~" Shuichi replied looking up at him with tearful eyes.

"What's wrong now? You've been crying again" Hiro looked at him with pity.

"Nothing, you know I cry all the time now I have to get back to Ryuichi"

"Not until I know you're going to be ok" Hiro said throwing his helmet to the ground and holding Shuichi in his arms.

"I'll be fine now let go!" demanded Shuichi as he broke free from his friend's comforting grip. As he continued to run it began to rain. He tried to run over to a parking garage for shelter when someone snagged the back of his shirt. 'Now what?!"

"We meet again, talentless boyfriend" sneered the lead singer from ASK. It was hours before Shuichi finally made it back to Ryuichi's home.

"Shuichi~ I'm in here~" Ryuichi called from the bedroom once he heard the door open and close. When he didn't get an answer, Ryuichi appeared in the living room archway. There stood a drenched and bruised Shuichi. "Shuichi!?" he called surprised.

Just then the T.V. switched from its music program.

"Breaking news! Tonight, upcoming singer from the new group Bad Luck seems to have quite the scandal! Earlier tonight, Shuichi Shindo was seen running from the apartment of his former lover Yuki Eiri. It also seems that he's become intimate not only with the writer and super star Ryuichi Sakuma but his long time friend and lead guitarist Hiro Nakano and lead singer from the not so popular group Tachi from ASK!"

Pictures popped up on the screen showing well known photos of Shuichi with Yuki and Ryuichi but it also had a revealing photo of him with Tachi and in the arms of Hiro.

"Shuichi" Ryuichi said almost at a loss for words.


	6. What's A Celebrity To Do?

"I'm sorry…" Shuichi managed to squeak out.

"What happened? Start at the beginning" Ryuichi told him while softening his expression. He walked over to his couch and motioned with his hand for Shuichi to take a seat next to him. Shuichi obediently followed him.

"I went to see Yuki after I left the studio…I got there ok and I found Yuki in his study. I tried to talk to him but he ended up doing most of the talking. Apparently he doesn't care about me and said he was happy I was with you now. He told me to leave my key and get out but I was so upset that I just left and didn't return the key. Then as I was coming back I ran into Hiro. I swear nothing is going on romantically between us. After I bumped into him he saw that I was upset and wanted to make sure I was ok and I also hit my head on his helmet so he was just trying to console me. I don't know who would have been around or followed me and managed to take that picture but that consoling hug is all that happened. I told him you were waiting for me and I continued coming back but it started raining so I went to this parking garage to take cover. The last things I remember were someone grabbing me and that Aizawa guy from ASK saying something but I don't remember what. I think I was knocked out after that or something because when I woke up I was alone in that parking garage and my body hurt and my throat hurt and all I could remember was that I was coming to see you. Are you angry?" Shuichi asked slightly fearful. Ryuichi was wearing his serious expression and hadn't seemed to move a muscle through Shuichi's whole explanation. "You believe me right?"

"I'm not angry with you. I believe you aren't the type to get yourself hurt and splash these accusations about yourself all over the news. Whoever did this to you will pay though. I promise. Unlike Yuki, I'll make sure Tachi Aizawa never dares to come near you again" he replied with a furious yet calm tone.

"Ryuichi…" Shuichi called softly.

"Come on, those wounds aren't going to clean themselves!" He replied cheerfully taking Shuichi by the hand and leading him to the bathroom in Ryuichi's room. As they walked through the room Shuichi noted the fully bloomed roses on the night tables, the bed had silk sheets and a canopy opened up in such an inviting manor. All sorts of goodies lined the dresser as well. A remote looked like it was pointing to the turned on stereo. Candies were in a lovely display and an expensive bottle of champagne with two glasses off to the side was chilling in an ice bucket. Ryuichi gently pushed Shuichi into the bathroom. "You just take your time in there, I'll be right here when you get out!" he said before closing the door and allowing Shuichi his privacy. Ryuichi lied down on his bed and turned on the T.V.

'Ryuichi…you really do care for me and you're so understanding. Yuki never did this for me. All this preparation while I was seeing my ex and waiting indefinitely for my return. I must be the luckiest boyfriend alive!' Shuichi quickly cleaned himself up and returned to Ryuichi. His Godly lover looked at him from his bed and motioned for him to come over. Shuichi did so and spent the night wrapped in Ryuichi's sweet embrace. The two didn't speak much the next morning but went to work together just the same. Shuichi shivered at all the eyes that looked over him but he stayed by Ryuichi's side who was as cheerful as always and wished everyone a good morning as he walked to his recording room. At Shuichi's recording room were the members of Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper.

"I think this calls for an explanation so we can proceed on how to handle damage control" stated Tohma heatedly. Shuichi shied away from the glares he received.

"Nothing to explain na no da! You know the media! Always fishing for stories at the expense of us celebrities!" Ryuichi laughed off.

"Really Ryu~ This could really hurt our sales and performance that's coming up" Noriko tried to imply the seriousness of the situation.

"Nothing happened. Not between Shuichi and me anyway. They're just making a friendly hug look like more than just that" Hiro chimed in.

"I did go to Yuki's last night but only to talk and I wasn't there more than five minutes. Nothing happened between me and Hiro and Ryuichi's my lover so there shouldn't be a problem with me being seen with him" Shuichi explained defensively.

"It's not Ryuichi we're concerned about being seen with you. We highly doubt that Hiro would be the type to risk ruining your friendship and current relationship and Yuki we expected to act coldly and not care after how many times you came here all emotional all the time. It's Aizawa we need to know about!" Suguru said angrily.

"I don't think anything happened between us" Shuichi said softly, just above a whisper. Ryuichi shot him a quick concerned look.

"Louder and give it to us straight!" demanded K pointing his favorite gun to Shuichi's head.

"Ah! K! It's been so long and you haven't changed a bit! I remember when that gun used to be pointed in my face~!" Ryuichi gushed trying to hop on his ex manager who skillfully moved out of the way while keeping Shuichi hostage.

"Nothing's going on between Aizawa and me! Like I would ever want to date him anyway!" Shuichi said defensively as well as scared for his life.

" K you're so mean~ na no da" Ryuichi whined from the floor.

"Quick, turn on the T.V.!" cried Sakano who came rushing into the room and panicked while finding the right channel.

"And now and exclusive with lead singer Tachi Aizawa from ASK! So tell us, is the alleged relationship between you and Bad Luck's Shuichi Shindo true?" asked a reporter.

"Of course it is. A picture's worth a thousand words isn't it? But of course that's not even close to half of the things said between Shuichi and I" replied Tachi.

"How did this relationship come about so fast? And right after he announced his relationship with the legendary Ryuichi Sakuma"

"Well love is blind. Shuichi's just looked up to Mr. Sakuma for so long that after finally meeting him he realized he didn't have what it takes to keep up with such a popular guy. With me, we'd be on the same level and to be honest he's been after me for months. I've never really been into guys but you know I'm always up to trying something once!" Tachi answered.

"So how would you describe your relationship with Shindo?"

"Well, I think the pictures here speak for themselves but if you really must know perhaps we'll see about some fan service for a few of our public upcoming events"

Just then Shuichi turned the T.V. off.

"He's lying! There's nothing going on between us and I never looked up to him! Everyone here knows that, Hiro you remember the first time we met that guy!" Shuichi looked at his best friend for support who in turn nodded sympathetically. "And I'm keeping up with Ryuichi just fine!"

"Yes you are~!" Ryuichi chirped from a table with Kumagoro and a cup full of something sweet.

"Nonetheless, Shuichi can I see you in my office alone?" said Tohma more as a command than a request. Shuichi nodded and followed him out. Once inside Tohma took a seat at his desk. "You had best be telling the truth because we don't need a scandal here. Mika is on her way to Eiri's to check your story"

"It'll match" Shuichi tried to say strongly but it came out more like an unreassuringly reply.


	7. The Grand Announcement

Shuichi twisted and turned in his seat. Tohma hadn't released him to band practice and even worse had been giving him the stare down the entire time they were waiting for the call. It seemed like an eternity before the phone finally rang.

"Hello?" answered Tohma calmly. "I see, thank you"

Shuichi looked at him almost imploringly for the answer.

"Mika says the part concerning Eiri was true. Hiro backs up the picture with him and Ryuichi is a given. What we really need is to find out what went down with Aizawa"

"Nothing went down! If he tries to black mail me he can go ahead and try. The media should know he's lying after there is no public appearance with the two of us together and I'll make it even more obvious that I'm with Ryuichi!" replied Shuichi somewhat heatedly.

"That might work and of course everyone close to this will back up your story but I called you here for another reason"

"About Yuki?" guessed Shuichi.

"Yes and no. You're now willingly living with Ryuichi but explain to me how you and Eiri broke up. I'm concerned that there wasn't a big fuss about it this time. The other thing you should know is that despite your relationship with Ryuichi your band and mine are still rivals"

"But we don't have to be! Ryuichi sees that! We work for the same company so why not make other companies our rivals instead of having a divided company! We're even having a concert together! Why does everyone think we have no choice but to be rivals!?" Shuichi exclaimed.

"That's just the way it is. We're only playing together upon Ryuichi's request. I can already foresee several situations occurring. None of which will probably end well for either band. It might just be in your best interest to break up with Ryuichi now and stick to dating normal people. Not other celebrities"

"With all due respect sir, I won't let anyone decide the fate of my relationships other than me and the one I'm involved with" and with that Shuichi returned to practice.

"Shuichi~!" Ryuichi pounced on him upon his return. "We should practice together today and decide the order in which we're going to play the songs for tomorrow night!"

"Ok" Shuichi smiled back as he gently pushed Ryuichi off and stood back up. As the two bands starting setting up together Shuichi couldn't help but feel a cold stare penetrating his back. The worst part was when he turned around to see who it was it was the one person he thought was on his side, Hiro.

"Ready?" asked Ryuichi excitedly standing up to the microphone. Just then Tohma walked in, as cool and calm as always and took his position. 'Why isn't he the one giving me mean looks? Even after the way I spoke to him. He's not showing any real sign of hostility towards me'

"Ready" Shuichi replied as cheerfully as he could. Practice went well and at the end of the day the two lovers were sitting on Ryuichi's bed deciding on which outfits would best suit tomorrow night's performance. All of Shuichi's things had been delivered during the afternoon so it could be officially said that he moved in and broke up with Yuki.

"I think tomorrow night's concert will make things all better!" Ryuichi chirped as he sang the songs for tomorrow softly.

"You're probably right. I love to sing and make all those fans happy and I get to sing along side you!" Shuichi agreed.

"Yep~!" Ryuichi chirped again as he set his outfit off to the side. The two didn't stay up much later. By the next morning the two were buzzing around making sure everything was in order and constantly comparing notes on which songs would be sung and when the stage would be rearrange and when they would be performing their duet.

"I'm so excited!" Shuichi stated as he prepared to walk out the door.

"You have a lot of energy too? Then let's walk to the studio today!" Ryuichi suggested as he practically skipped out the door. Practice would be easy today since the show was only a matter of hours away. As the two walked to work, they were careful to avoid any main streets. When they were only a mile away it seemed they had done well in walking to work without being recognized with the exception of one person.

"Good morning Shuichi" greeted an unwelcomed familiar voice. The couple turned to see Tachi Aizawa sitting at a café also hidden by his clothing for the most part. "You know it won't look very good if you're seen darting back and forth between lovers"

Shuichi was about to speak his mind when Ryuichi grabbed his arm.

"Don't let him provoke you, he'll be rethinking any schemes he might have had by the end of tonight" Ryuichi told him seriously.

"Wha~ Who are you na no da?" Ryuichi played dumb while addressing the lead singer from ASK.

"How do you not know who I am? I'm Tachi Aizawa from ASK! You see Shuichi, big shots like him forget you in no time!" Tachi shouted to them angrily as they continued on their way to work. The two bands ran through one practice of the entire night and then went home till show time. The moment the bands appeared on stage the crowd went wild. In truth no one could distinguish if the cheers were louder for Nittle Grasper or Bad Luck or even if it was so loud because the two hottest groups had come together for a concert openly. The songs list started off with Bad Luck's "The Rage Beat" as a warm up and then several other songs. The final songs were Nittle Grasper's "Sleepless Beauty" and the n finally a duet singing Bad Luck's "In The Moonlight". Once the duet was over everyone expected a few thank yous from Ryuichi and Shuichi but what ended up happening was completely unexpected by everyone with the exception of the genius lead singer of Nittle Grasper.

"Thanks for everything! Now if you'll just stay with us a few moments more I have something very special I would like to announce!" started Ryuichi. "Although it has only been a short time and despite the harsh words of the media and other parties I believe that I have found the one person who can match if not beat me at my own hobby. He's not only talented and adorable but the only person I have ever been completely serious about and that's why in front of a live audience after the best concert given by the two greatest bands in all Japan I would like to ask my boyfriend, Shuichi Shindo to bestow upon me the honor of becoming my husband!" as he said this the entire stage had gone into silent shock. The crowd had been raging like never before as Ryuichi got down on one knee and pulled out a ring and offered it to Shuichi. Shuichi himself was in too much shock to really grasp what had just happened. As he watched the reaction of the fans he saw a man he thought he'd never again see. Yuki calmly staring at him from the back of the audience. After realizing he was there, Shuichi gave Ryuichi his answer.


	8. The Happy Couple Or Is It?

Shuichi sat on the couch of his new home staring at the beautiful engagement ring on his finger. He had agreed to marry his sweet Ryuichi in front of a live audience, in front of his company and closest friends and most importantly in front of the man he once loved. Everything had happened so quickly but it was love at first sight. Shuichi had fallen in love with Ryuichi the first time he ever saw him perform. Although he hadn't really met him until recently, anyone who really knew him knew he had been having a fantasy relationship with the man who inspired him for many years now.

"Shuichi" Ryuichi called softly as he sat by his new fiancé on the couch. "I just want you to know my proposal wasn't too soon and I didn't do it now because of everything that's been going on recently. I've had relationships before but they were mostly just out of my being nice. I knew I loved and had to have you the first time I saw you on stage. I guess you could call it love at first sight. I just want us to spend every moment of our lives together in the most binding way I can think of"

"Me too, I loved you at first sight too" replied Shuichi. He couldn't contain his excitement upon hearing that not only did Ryuichi believed in love at first sight but had found his one true love in him.

"Good, that makes me happy to hear you feel the same. Now when do you want to set the date? Since Japan doesn't allow us to marry here but will recognize our marriage if we are married else where we will most likely be having our ceremony in Canada. We can always ask for all the traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies to be preformed there. We can bring a priest, and anything you can think of. I think we will have to break tradition a little bit though and sing at our own reception since we are the best in Japan"

"Agreed" Shuichi giggled as he allowed himself to place his head on Ryuichi's chest. "I think I know of where we can find a priest but I'm not sure if we should ask him. You see he lives at Ayaka's house in Kyoto. Ayaka is Yuki's ex fiancée thanks to me and I don't want to leave him hanging like this. I saw him at the concert last night and the least I can do is try and get Yuki and Ayaka back together since it's really my fault they broke up. At the same time though, Hiro wants to date Ayaka so I shouldn't ruin his chance but things weren't going well between them anyway so I don't know what to do"

"Well, I would leave Hiro, Ayaka and Yuki to their own problems. When relationships get played with it tends to go wrong for all parties involved but, we shouldn't be wary of the priest you're thinking of because of some past relationship. If anything he would probably be thrilled to marry us, that way Ayaka can chase after Yuki again if she so desires without having to worry about you as her rival" replied Ryuichi.

"I guess that makes sense" said Shuichi.

"That's what I'm here for! A good husband is supposed to be there for his spouse whenever he or she has a problem, whether it be big or small! Now let's go to bed, we'll go see that priest in the morning" stated Ryuichi as he took Shuichi hand and led him to his bedroom. Shuichi couldn't help but admire the glow of his ring as he followed his soon to be husband to his room.

The next morning the newly engaged couple were on a bullet train heading for Kyoto. Hours later they arrived and were walking about the temple grounds. 'The last time I was here was when I was stopping Yuki's engagement to Ayaka. It wasn't love at first sight with Yuki, it was love at first kiss…why do I keep thinking about that jerk! He wasn't ever going to marry me and he's still pulling that same crap as usual. He hurts my feelings, kicks me out and then shows up at one of my concerts with that triumphant you'll always come back to me look, well not this time Yuki!'

"Shuichi" said Ryuichi, pulling him from his thoughts. "Where exactly on the grounds the priest live?"

"I'm not exactly sure" Shuichi admitted slightly embarrassed.

"The grounds are so big we'll be here all day. You have your cell phone on you right?"

"Yeah"

"Well then let's split up and when we find the priest we'll call and meet up ok?"

"Sounds good" replied Shuichi as he continued on straight while Ryuichi turned down another street in the good sized complex.

Shuichi headed straight and walked up to one of the doors. 'Hopefully I'll get someone nice who will help me' he thought as he knocked on the door somewhat gingerly. Seconds later the blue haired spitting image of Yuki appeared.

"SHUICHI!" the monster screamed in a demonic tone.

"Tatsuha!" Shuichi yelped.

"HOW DARE YOU BECOME ENGAGED TO MY RYUICHI!" he screeched as he raised his arms out to the pink haired singer. Shuichi threw his arms up fearfully and winced. "Is that the ring!?" he demanded as he grabbed Shuichi's arm and examined the sparkling jewel. "It's beautiful! Oh to receive something so gorgeous and meaningful and in such a bold fashion as this from my sweet honey Ryuichi!"

"Actually he's my sweet honey bunny Ryuichi" Shuichi stated softly under his breath.

"Shuichi!~ I almost forgot to leave Kumagoro with you in case you get lost!" called Ryuichi as he came running towards them. "Oh! You found the priest, nice choice! He's young and handsome too, perfect for a wedding that's going to be as grand as ours! Mr. Priest will you please marry us!?" asked Ryuichi with his huge eyes as he grabbed both of Tatsuha's hands.

'Ryu…Ryuichi's touching me! He called me handsome! Oh My God! What do I do?!'

"Mr. Shindo?" called a girl's voice. Shuichi looked over to see Ayaka standing not too far away holding hands with none other than Yuki.

"It'll be Mr. Sakuma soon I expect, will it not?" asked Yuki casually. "Why is your fiancé looking so close to my idiot brother?"

"Brother? Your brother's a priest?" asked Ryuichi confused as he released Tatsuha who seemed to have mentally melted away in the moment.

"Of course not" Yuki replied. "The priest is out right now"

"Oh. Well that explains why we couldn't find him Shuichi!"

"I suggest you find a different priest to marry you as the one who resides here is going to be booked for Eiri and my wedding the moment he returns" replied Ayaka.

"No matter, we'll find a nice young priest elsewhere love" said Ryuichi as if to outdo Ayaka of her sassiness.

"Shuichi" said the very familiar voice of Hiro as he stepped out of the temple.

"Hiro?!" asked Shuichi surprised. 'What on Earth is Hiro doing here? If Ayaka's engagement to Yuki is back on then he must be heartbroken! Poor Hiro! And that bitch had the nerve to say it's over in person while showing off Yuki to him, how cruel!'

Suddenly Shuichi was pulled into a deep and passionate kiss by his fiancée. Shuichi started to close his eyes in pure bliss and pleasure while Ryuichi started off eyes closed and then made sure to give a heated glare in the direction of Ayaka, Yuki and Hiro.

'Such bold passion! Even if it is between two men…I wonder if Eiri will kiss me that way or is that jerk just trying to get the best of me with his new companion!' thought Ayaka confused and yet taken aback in awe of the kiss. Meanwhile the three men were left speechless.


	9. An Objection To This Union!

"Shuichi and I are so in love that we wish to be married within the next few weeks in Canada. After the wedding we will have a short honey moon tour around the world. As some of Shuichi's and mine's closest friends we would like to invite all the people who work at N.G. studios. We would also like you, Yuki and Ayaka to come to our wedding. This way we'll know that your relationship is solid and you give Shuichi your blessing to marry me. Yuki's brother is invited as well! Your plane tickets and hotel fees will be paid for completely by us as an engagement gift to you. So will you honor us by coming to our wedding?" asked Ryuichi in his perky voice.

"Of course, but after your wedding we expect you to attend ours as well" replied Yuki.

"I-I got invited to Ryuichi Sakuma's wedding!" shrieked Tatsuha as he nearly fainted.

"Hiro…will you be my best man?" asked Shuichi. "You've been my best friend for as far back as I can remember. You're always looking out for me and I know that no one is looking out for my best interest and happiness more than you are so please say yes!"

"I have to think about it" Hiro replied dully. A surprised look overtook his face before an indescribably sad one. Shuichi shot him a confused glance as he Hiro turned and walked away.

"Well since this priest is unavailable let's go put an ad up somewhere and interview as many nice looking young priests as we can! We have so much to do and so little time! But we have to remember to make time for each other too!" stated Ryuichi as he took Shuichi by the arm and led him away from the temple grounds.

"Why did you agree to go to his wedding? He's the one who left you isn't he?" asked Ayaka.

"Don't you want proof that what he and I had is over? What better proof could I give you then going to his wedding and watching him promise to give himself to another man forever?" answered Yuki.

"I don't approve of two men being together but if you can sit through the entire ceremony without any objection to his union then so can I" stated Ayaka.

"Eiri! Can you believe it! I'm going to be married to Ryuichi Sakuma! I'm going to be more famous than you! And I'll be happier than you too because I'm marrying someone out of love instead of an arrangement! My marriage won't be a business deal!" squealed Tatsuha somewhat in and somewhat out of his fantasy state.

"Snap out of it you idiot, like you would ever end up marrying Ryuichi. You should be satisfied with being the brother of someone as popular as me" stated Yuki coldly.

"And Eiri and I love each other! We are marrying out of love and not just out parents' wishes!" added Ayaka.

"Maybe you are but not him, he was happier with Shuichi and if he had had the guts to propose to him earlier or show him a sweeter side he might've gotten his happy ending instead of settling for you!" retorted Tatsuha.

With that Yuki and Ayaka strutted off arm in arm back into the temple.

'Shuichi…how are we ever going to get through this?...' Hiro asked himself and an invisible Shuichi. He had gone home and sulked about all the new and unseen twists that had recently invaded his life.

"Ryuichi, why do you think Hiro didn't say yes?" asked Shuichi as he sat on their couch and munched on some of the snacks that had been set out.

"Well everything we've been announcing has been pretty sudden lately, maybe he just needs a little time for it all to sink in" suggested Ryuichi as he joined his fiancé.

"I hope he comes around. It won't be the perfect wedding if Hiro isn't there and right beside me at such a big moment in my life. He's been there for all the other big things that have happened to me"

"If he's your true best friend then he wouldn't miss your wedding for the world!" stated Ryuichi.

"Maybe it was that Ayaka. He's had his sights set on her for a while now and she just ruined his hopes of dating her by being reengaged to Yuki. Do you think I just asked him at a bad time?"

"That could be it, but for now let's just relax. Starting tomorrow we have a lot of calls to be making. And a lot of interviewing to do on top of our usual work!"

The next day was a happy day for all those at N.G. studios.

"Congratulations Ryu! That was our most popular concert yet and you walked away with quite a prize!" said Noriko as she hugged her fellow band mate.

"Noriko! You have to hand me my ring at my wedding!"

"I'd love to be your maid of honor!" replied Noriko hugging him tighter.

"Shuichi, sorry about yesterday. I'd love to be your best man. It's only natural to have things work out this way! I've just had a lot on my mind lately so you deciding to marry so soon really gave me a shock. More so than you dating Ryuichi and getting engaged to him at the concert. You should really start coming up with a way to warn me about all this in advance so I can be better prepared" stated Hiro.

"All right all right, we're all excited. As a wedding gift I would say work is cancelled until after the honey moon but since you two will be having a celebratory tour we should really practice more and start preparing to clear our schedules. Congratulations you two. You better make this relationship work. N.G. doesn't need one of those relationships' that go too quickly and then die in six months. So work hard!" stated Tohma.

Three weeks passed by in no time flat. The day of the wedding had finally arrived. Ice sculptures, gardens in full bloom and a mass of excited fans, friends and family had arrived and were anxiously awaiting for the ceremony to begin. Ryuichi stood at the front next to a priest that looked to be about 25 and a real ladies man. Noriko had just come down the aisle and stood next to Ryuichi. Moments later Hiro stood opposite her. Yuki and his relatives occupied the front row to the ceremony.

"This isn't right! It should be me!" whined Tatsuha softly with a handkerchief drying his tears.

"Be quiet already!" ordered Tohma.

"Really" added Mika.

Suddenly the wedding music begin and Shuichi in a tight fitting tux walked down the aisle. Soon he was at the altar staring into the eyes of his beloved.

"Greetings everyone! As we are all well aware we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union between these two young lovers. It is not every day that one finds one's soul mate but when it happens such as today the sky is no bluer, the grass no greener and the people no happier. Now let's skip the formal stuff no one's going to remember and get right down to the juicy part!" shouted the priest. "Do you, Ryuichi Sakuma take this man as your loftily wedded husband. To keep for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" answered Ryuichi.

"Bwaaaa!" an unmuffled cry escaped Tastuha.

"Well it seems you're leaving quite a few broken hearts in the wake of such happiness…anyway, do you Shuichi Shindo take this man to be your loftily wedded husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do!"

"Then if there are any objections to this well wanted and deserving union please speak now or forever hold your peace!"

"I OBJECT!" screamed Hiro raising his hand. An unearthly gasp escaped the audience. "Shuichi, you told me that I'm your best friend and care about you more than anyone. That's absolutely true and if that's true than I cannot allow you to make this mistake! Your relationship with Yuki was nothing but a fling that you thought was serious in the beginning. That's the same thing that's happening right now with you and Ryuichi only Ryuichi is as delusional as you are about this relationship. Ayaka was no more than a fling as well and after all we've been through the truth is finally clear to me. If anyone should be marrying you it should be me! And I will not give my blessing to this union, in fact I demand this union continue with me standing where Ryuichi is and Ryuichi standing in my position!"


	10. An Unusual Turn of Events

"Hiro…" Shuichi said softly.

"If Hiro and Shuichi are meant to be together then let them be together and I'll marry Ryuichi today instead!" Shouted Tatsuha who jumped up.

"Sit down!" the Uesugis' all told him in unison.

"Well this is certainly dramatic" Yuki mumbled as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

'Yuki…' Shuichi thought to himself. 'You're smoking now? You usually only smoke when you feel relieved like after you've finished writing for the night or something like that. Is the fact that you're smoking now a sign that you're relieved that Hiro said something?'

"Well we can't very well have a wedding without the blessing of the best man now can we?" said Ryuichi with a half hearted sigh.

"Ryuichi?" Shuichi questioned.

"There's no way I can get married without a perfect wedding and there's no such thing as a perfect wedding with an objection to the union in question so how bout we do this Hiro, we won't marry today. We'll go back to Japan and have a three month waiting period. In those three months Shuichi can date who ever he wants free of being accused of cheating. At the end of those three months Shuichi will give me his answer on whether or not he wants to marry me or you or someone else he sees in that time and at that time who ever he picks gets to be with him and all other parties must accept it, deal?"

"Sounds good to me, in three months if I haven't won Shuichi's heart I'll give my blessing to the man he chooses" replied Hiro.

"Sorry for calling you all here for nothing everyone! But we'd be more than happy to sing for you to make up for your travels!" Ryuichi called in his chibi voice.

Everyone applauded and then left to gossip about the turn of events and helped themselves to the buffet of food behind them.

"Sorry about this Shuichi, it's not that I don't love you. I just want a perfect wedding and so long as someone in our lives objects to our union we won't live happily ever after and I won't let that happen. If nothing's changed between us in three months then the two of us will be here again and have our happy ending ok?"

"Yeah, it's only a change in the date right? No biggie!" Shuichi smiled and waved his hand in a gesture suggesting everything would be fine when deep down he was worried.

"Alright, now go get something to drink to wake your voice up. The least we can do is have a top notch concert right?"

"Right!" and with that Ryuichi headed over to the buffet table.

"I meant what I said Shuichi. No one could love you more than me and by the end of these next three months you'll be marrying me. So when we get back to Japan you better be ready to go on a hot date with me got it?" Hiro said while pointing a finger at him. Once he was done he left to go freshen up for the concert.

"Ohh…why can't anyone who falls in love with me just confess to me in a normal way. Yuki kissed me in an elevator before he agreed to date me and everyone including me found that out by means of reporters. Ryuichi didn't even let me know the karaoke was a date and we slept together the same night while I was dating Yuki and he took me by surprise with an engagement at a concert in front of millions of people and now Hiro's gone and made a scene out of it…Why can't they just sit me down at a nice restaurant and say I love you Shuichi let's start seeing each other…" Shuichi whined to himself with a chibi like flow of tears coming from his eyes.

Shuichi grabbed a cup of punch and went behind a giant set of bleachers that would soon be full of people waiting to hear him and Ryuichi sing. He sipped the punch slowly, almost playing with it. He didn't really want it but his voice needed to be in tip top shape if he was going to start singing his heart out.

"Shuichi…" came a low but very familiar voice. Shuichi glanced up from his punch to see Yuki not even 2 feet from him. He jumped slightly upon seeing him.

"Yuki! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Shuichi yelled at him surprised.

"I didn't sneak up on you, you're just not paying attention to your surroundings!" Yuki snapped. "But that's not why I came here."

"Are you going to yell at me for making you fly half way around the world for nothing? Because it's not my fault. I don't plan for these things to happen you know" Shuichi started but what subtly interrupted.

"That's not why I came looking for you. I came to tell you that I didn't mean to chase you out that time."

"What?" Shuichi asked him shocked. "Are you apologizing?"

"Don't play dumb, why else would I track you down to say that? The truth is that I've missed you. Now that you're free from any relationships I want to try and get back what we had"

"Yuki, you're not making any sense" Shuichi told him become extremely confused.

"Shut up, brat" Yuki blushed slightly before grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling him into a deep kiss. Shuichi could taste the bitter taste of the cigarette Yuki had just smoked. He may have hated cigarettes but he so missed be kissed like this. He didn't particularly like Yuki's attitude towards him most of the time or the fact that he was so rough when trying to make up with him but deep down he knew he had missed Yuki and the fact that Yuki had missed him too sent him into a brief state of euphoria.

"Yuki" Shuichi tried to call his name but his was muffled by their kiss. Shuichi tried to break off the kiss and speak to Yuki but the moment he created a gap between their lips, Yuki had grabbed both of his hands and pinned him up against the bleachers. Shuichi's punch had fallen to the ground and Yuki continued to passionately kiss him, first on the lips and then he went to his neck.

"YUKI!" Shuichi called trying to get him to focus.

"What!" Yuki demanded impatiently.

"You're engaged to Ayaka. I may be a free agent but you're not and this is wrong."

"Heh, we had slept with each other before while I was engaged to Ayaka so what's the big deal?" Yuki laughed.

"I didn't know about Ayaka the first time and I don't want to start anything with anyone till I'm back in Japan. It would be improper to start something in the wake of my wedding and I most certainly have no intention of getting together with someone behind a set of bleachers right before I'm about to sing that's the big deal! Now get off!" Shuichi screamed. Yuki growled at him but let him go. Shuichi face turned red as he walked off towards the stage. He had no idea that he could speak to Yuki like that and that scared him a little.


	11. Let's Play A Love Game!

"Waaaaahhhh heh heh!" Shuichi cried miserably in the middle of a light rain storm on a less populated street in Tokyo. His belongings all wrapped up in a green army colored bag. "This is all your fault Hiro!" he continued to curse as he dropped to his knees and continued crying. The events of a mere hour ago replaying in his head.

"I hope you won't take this the wrong way Shuichi, it's just that since this is a love competition now with quite the grand prize at the end I don't want any rumors or bad blood between any of our partners by them thinking I took advantage of the competition by letting you stay with me. I promise when we're married in 3 months I will totally and completely make it up to you though!" Ryuichi tried to give his reasons and apology in his cutest voice possible. His hands together in a prayer of forgiveness as Shuichi stood outside Ryuichi's home with his bag of belongings at his feet.

"Well, if it isn't a cute little abandoned kitten. Do you want to come home with me?" asked a somewhat sincere voice. Shuichi looked up from the ground to see the taunting eyes of ASK's lead singer, Aizawa.

"You!" Shuichi shouted accusingly. "What are you doing here?"

"It is a public street" Aizawa replied coolly. "No reason to get feisty with me, kitty cat."

"I'm not a cat! If you're going to compare me to an animal I'm more like a dog! Loyal to the one I love till the end!"

"Interesting, then who is that loyal master of yours now? Ryuichi Sakuma? Eiri Yuki? Hiroshi Nakano? Or just maybe it's me"

"Ha! The only way you can get any action is through brutal force! No one would be loyal to you!"

"Not true. I can have practically anyone I want. That incident with you was merely business turned ugly. If you want I could give you a shot with me. You are single at the moment are you not?"

"Why would I want to get together with you when I have a line out the door of far better candidates?"

"Because at the moment I have an umbrella while you're getting rained on and curiosity killed the cat. Part of you, even if it's subconscious wants to see what I have to offer. Plus we'll both get something out of it. If not pleasure, than good publicity. Two rival bands making nice with each other, one lead singer showing another a cheap yet nice place to stay to get out of the rain for starters" Aizawa replied leaning close enough to Shuichi so they could share his umbrella.

Shuichi shivered as the wind picked up. As a celebrity it wasn't easy to find a place to stay without being robbed or mobbed by adoring fans. 'Ryuichi's probably right about it being a bad idea for me to be staying with anyone that I might end up dating for the time being.' He looked at Aizawa intently trying to figure out his game. 'I don't want to trust him but maybe he's just a bad competitor. He might not be that bad of a guy outside of work…maybe'

"Achoo!" Shuichi sneezed feeling himself feel more and more like an abandoned cat desperately seeking shelter in a poorly condition card board box. "Show me this place and I'll reconsider my thoughts about you"

"Fair enough" Aizawa replied seeming not to mind Shuichi's suspicion. A short walk later they were at a motel where Shuichi managed to get a room without being recognized.

"The geezer upfront has poor eyesight and went deaf years ago. He's probably the only one who wouldn't be able to recognize us in Japan. Plus his only employee isn't into our music genre." Aizawa explained as they opened the door to Shuichi's room. The room was like a small studio. The kitchen, living room and bedroom were literally one room with what you would find in three different rooms and a small bathroom was in the far corner.

"It's not much, but it's fine for the three short months I'll need it" Shuichi replied. He kept a close watch on Aizawa as he set his things down. 'I can't be too careful with this guy. Knowing him he'd pounce on me the moment I turn my back'

"Good. Now you owe me one. I'll be in touch with date plans within the next few days" Aizawa said smugly as he turned and left.

"Hey! I never agreed to see you!" Shuichi cried after him in vain. He threw himself on the bed and buried his head in the pillow. "Life can be so cruel!"

'Shuichi Shindo, you will be mine…' Aizawa thought to himself excitedly as he closed his eyes and a confident smile crossed his lips.

Ring Ring. Ring Ring.

"Hello?" Ryuichi answered his phone.

"I want to speak with Shuichi" stated the dark and demanding voice of Yuki.

"He's not here" Ryuichi replied sounding spacey.

"When will he return?"

"In three months"

"Three months?"

"Yeah, when we're married!" Ryuichi chirped.

"So in short, you threw him out?"

Ryuichi stayed silent.

"In this weather? And with him being choice meat for pervs, deranged fans and the paparazzi. Some lover you are" Yuki hang up. He slipped on his long jacket and headed for the door.

"I'll bring him back here myself. I won't lose him again" Yuki told himself as he took to the rain soaked streets of Tokyo.

"Hmm… Where's the perfect place to go on a date?" Hiro asked himself aloud as he sat at his desk. In front of him a pad of paper with three columns. One for himself, one for Yuki and one for Ryuichi. Hiro had begun a list of all threes good and bad qualities based on how they were with Shuichi. "Yuki took him to the amusement park, followed by abandoning him, smooth move there. Ryuichi took him to karaoke where he made a real mess of things with Shuichi's emotions…not that they weren't already scrambled. So I have to find the perfect place and be a smooth well mannered boyfriend" Hiro thought on this throughout the evening. Oblivious to the new fourth player in the game of chance with Shuichi's heart.


End file.
